Retire online – it’s so easy

Social Security has a new online retirement application and a new celebrity spokesperson to help spread the word.

You can apply for retirement benefits from the comfort of your home or office at www.socialsecurity.gov. There’s no need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative. You can complete the new online retirement application in as little as 15 minutes. It's so easy.

In most cases, after you click the “Sign Now” button and submit the application electronically, that’s it. There are no forms to sign, and usually no additional documents are required. Social Security will contact you directly if more information is needed.

Award-winning actress Patty Duke has volunteered her services to let people know they can retire online. Ms. Duke has brought back the much beloved identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane from the hit 1960s sitcom "The Patty Duke Show" for a series of public service announcements that tell Americans it's now easier than ever to apply online.

If you are uncertain about when to retire, you can check out the online fact sheet, “When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits.” And if you are not ready to retire, you can plan for retirement using Social Security’s online Retirement Estimator. It is a great financial planning tool that will give you an immediate and personalized estimate of how much your retirement benefits would be if you stopped working at age 62, age 66, age 70 or any point in between.